Surfacing
by Stately Demented
Summary: When Naruto died and came back to life, he expected for everything to be easy. He has been granted more time, but does that really help him prepare for forces that might even be beyond him? Dark!Naruto. Time travel. Shounen-ai.
1. Chapter 1

Warnings: violence, angst, Dark!Naruto, change to a lot of Canon Naruto, time travel, Shounen-ai, and sexual content.

A few things you should know before reading:

1. Everything will be explained in time. If you have a question, feel free to review or pm me.

2. Romance isn't the main point of this story. Not to say it's not a major part, but don't expect the story to center around it. There will be sex scenes, just not a whole bunch. They will be sprinkled here and there.

Beta M.P. Lilith

If you're still reading; read on. Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Blue eyes narrowed. Tense teeth clenched. When he had woke up and realized Sakura was holding a _kunai _to his throat betrayal flittered through his mind. "What's this all about?" he asked, slowly taking in his situation. This was an ambush, and yet no one else was with her. He scanned the room, though other sources of chakra were not detected. Did she really think she could kill him herself?

She stood, hushed by an anger that defined more and more of her features. Her hand shook, gaze sharpened, and back straightened. "You've ruined everything and you didn't know it?"

Ruined...everything? He couldn't even recall the last time he even talked to Sakura. Let alone how he "ruined everything."

"This is the first time I've even heard this." The _kunai_ was now biting into his flesh. Blood trickled from the wound. "Get off me or I will hurt you," he uttered calmly.

She ignored his warning as she continued to rant. "I have to kill you before you ruin all of our lives! First you take Sasuke, and now you want to push out the elders! You must be eliminated."

He had a sneaking suspicion on who really was behind this. "Let me guess…the council put you up to this?" He tried to feel surprised but he couldn't. He knew this was going to happen. When Sasuke came back they expected him to take their side, not "the monster" of the Village's. So they now had his ex-teammate do all of their dirty work.

She shook her head. "No, this is so much bigger than just the council. It's the whole village."

That caught him by surprise. The whole village? Damn. And he thought he proved himself to them.

After a pause, he realized where he left his ninja tool last night. Slowly, he reached under the pillow for his hidden _kunai_ as she continued to talk.

"And to think Sasuke chose you. It's insulting. Even if you are only his best friend, he's supposed to choose me! I did my best, but dead last was able to beat me. Me! I still—!"

When the _kunai_ was in his grip, like a flash, he slashed up and disappeared from under her, leaving feathers in his wake. She screamed in frustration and he hopped out the window.

Sasuke.

If the whole village really was behind this, then he would need more manpower than himself. Hopefully, Sasuke was okay. Worry etched into his face. He had to get to the Uchiha district. Channeling his chakra to his feet, he jumped from building to building. If they even laid a scratch on him, Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to hold back. His eyes tapered to slits. He'd kill them all.

The sound of swooping behind him and he briskly turned towards the noise and knocked the shuriken out of the air. Around ten men circled Naruto wearing ANBU masks.

"By order of the high elders and Hokage, you are hereby under arrest."

Under arrest, his ass. They weren't just confining him to imprisonment, they would torture him and kill him right after. He knew their game. Naruto had seen the same thing happen over and over again, and refused to let it happen to him. Maybe it was the whole betrayal issue that made his head feel as if it had its own pulse. Or maybe it was his hate for the ANBU, but flickers of Kyuubi's chakra magnified the feeling ten times over. His betrayal rushed into anger, and anger fleshed out to high levels of rage.

"Die."

His rage palpable and unbridling, he venomously spat those words out before making 20 clones. They all had a _kunai_ and he followed them into the attack. Focusing all of his chakra into his ninja tool and forearm, Naruto went for the one with the weasel mask first. The flawless strike to the man's face was connected to some of his wind chakra, giving it an extra push to slice all the way through his skull.

"Die…!"

More rage fueled his jump to the next one. All he saw was red. Moments passed before he realized he had summoned his Rasengan fifteen times, stirring each victim's body to shreds. He needed to stop his anger from getting a hold of him. This wasn't the first time this happened: The first time was someone who dared to hurt Sasuke while he was weak and vulnerable. Naruto didn't dare make a report. The bodies were so unrecognizable he wouldn't have been able to tell who he killed. That would have led to unavoidable heartache and evidence to their claim of him being unstable.

He put a body down before going lax, unfurling his fist.

All he had ever done was strive to help the village. Protect it and keep it safe from all who wished to harm it. Did they not see his effort? Did they not appreciate his sacrifice?

"_What did I tell you, kid? The village was never going to accept you. It might be a little 'inappropriate'…but I did earn the right to say I told you so." _Kyuubi's cynical voice startled him. His anger burned bright once more.

"I know, I know! You were right, and I was wrong." Naruto snapped.

"_You don't need to get snarky, but yes, I'm glad you recognize it. I am right. Why don't we go and kill everyone while we're at it? I feel up for a little more blood-shedding. How about you?"_

"I really doubt we'll be able to kill everyone in the village. We need Sasuke."

"_The Uchiha? Why? That little bitch…—!"_

"Stop being an asshole! And because we _do _need him. You heard the ANBU. The Hokage and the elders issued the arrest order. Do you know what that means? Everyone in the fucking village is gonna have to fight. I'm sorry, but Kakashi and the Hokage are gonna be tough opponents. We'll need more manpower than just the two of us."

_"…That's what I thought. We've wasted enough time here. They're probably on their way. We need to hurry."_

Naruto jumped back up and sprinted towards the Uchiha district. It would only be a few minutes and he'd be in less danger. Safer.

Then, appearing like a flash before him was Sakura, attempting to punch him in the stomach. He flipped Sakura's arm towards her, propelling the force back. She stumbled away from him in a daze before attempting to attack him again. His grip on his _kunai _tightened before going for her head. She dodged.

The fight sounded like a bunch of clashing metal. He attacked, she dodged—roles constantly reversed. Their dance of anger continued until Naruto performed his Clone Jutsu. Unable to dodge in time Sakura was knocked to the road. Her head hit the ground hard.

"You're not getting around me." She huffed out. Her breaths were coming out in short bursts. Naruto stood in his spot across from her. Sakura was out of her league.

"Sorry to cut this short, but…I've got somewhere I need to be." He needed to end this in one blow.

The hands signs came naturally but felt out of place. He wasn't on the training grounds, or dueling with Sasuke. This was Sakura. And it felt disconnected, using this without Sasuke with him.

"Shadow style: Dragon plaque!" It was a jutsu that Sasuke taught him for a quick kill, or at least a distraction.

A tiny shadow-clad dragon zipped around before landing on Sakura's skin. The effect was immediate. Where the dragon had landed her skin began to slowly blacken. It swirled like ink and quickly started to cover her. She swatted at the dragon, but the effort was futile. The paralyzing poison was already starting to take effect. Her eyes started to glaze over and her body, stiffen.

"What did you do to me?"

Naruto could tell she was trying to yell. Her voice came out nothing more than a squeak; a shadow of her former voice.

"Have fun with that," he muttered before turning back to the task at hand. He just needed Sasuke. Naruto felt that everything would be alright if Sasuke was with him. He neared the gate that lead to the entrance of the Uchiha district and pushed the squeaky frame open before sprinting to his house.

"Sasuke!" Yelling into the stillness felt wrong. Like he was disturbing the dead. Sasuke still lived here, but his presence seemed almost nonexistent. He yelled once more, this time screeching it. Coming closer to his room, Naruto's yelling became more frantic. Adrenaline surging, desperation clawing at his insides. He hoped Sasuke was alright. Naruto threw open the door.

Sasuke was sitting up on his bed, tense with aggravation. He pinned Naruto with a glare. A "What?" staggered through clenched teeth.

"They finally did it," Naruto huffed out.

"Did what?"

"You know—_it._" Impatience quickly replaced confusion.

"So they finally did it…? Huh. What happened?"

"Sakura woke me up with a _kunai _to my throat. The ANBU—long story short—tried to kill me."

Sasuke's fists gripped his blanket so hard his knuckles turned white. "What you mean they tried to kill you?"

Naruto gave a weak smile. "Yeah, I know. Didn't expect them to try and kill me. Arrest me, yeah, but kill? No way."

"That's complete bullshit." Sasuke was seething, and Naruto could tell. His face was blank but his jaw was shut hard. So much pressure went into his teeth's grinding.

A moment of silence; then Sasuke pushed the blanket from over him and hopped up. "They need to die. The lot of them."

Naruto was glad that the Village didn't take Sasuke away from him. He was his most precious person. And he'd be damned if they did that.

Naruto gave Sasuke a toothy grin. "They will." He looked over at Sasuke's pajamas. "They're coming soon, so I suggest you change into something more...ninja-like." Sasuke gave a curt nod before briskly rummaging through his closet for his stealth gear.

But a light tapping made Sasuke and Naruto freeze on spot. They were there.

He motioned to Sasuke to hurry up and pressed his ear to the door. The tapping had stopped but he knew they were there. He heard a sharp intake of breath before he jumped backwards from the onslaught of _shuriken_. Naruto looked back at Sasuke's half naked body before throwing a flurry of chakra-charged _kunai _at the intruder. The intruder jumped back and Naruto's fist connected to his stomach. The masked assassin's body fell, and Naruto grabbed a _kunai_. And slit the man's throat, just in case.

"You ready? You'll be changed forever. I always knew you were prissy but this much?" Naruto said.

Sasuke came out of the room while adjusting his ninja pouch to his hip. "Who're you calling 'prissy'?" Sasuke smirked.

"You…but if we're going to fight we need to go to a better place."

"Hn. Anything's fine as long as we can hold up a defense."

They both looked at each other as the sound of several feet heading their way permeated the house.

"Right," they nodded to each other, before Naruto moved towards the back exit. They started to run. Judging from their noisy entrance, they weren't all that experienced to actually mask their presence from him and Sasuke. He could've taken them down, but their forces would probably lock them inside the Uchiha district. Not a good place to fight with hundreds of ninja on their tail; it was too confining and doing huge _jutsu _would be difficult.

They barreled through the village with no foes. However, Naruto knew something was brewing. The village was too silent. Too empty for someone they wanted dead. "A lot of chakra up ahead." So the village was trying to overwhelm them with force? A smart move, no less than what he'd expect from the new Hokage.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"If we die, or just I die, I want to thank you."

Sasuke gave him a curious look. "For what? We're not going to die. I doubt they could kill us. We're the best ninja in the whole damn Village."

"We could be the best in the whole universe…but a force hundreds strong could deplete our chakra—not to mention Kakashi_and _the Hokage are somewhere in the mix."—Sasuke never replied, so Naruto continued.—"I want to thank you for always being there for me. I, uh…never told you this before, but…I love you."

Sasuke inhaled before sharply exhaling.

Naruto knew it was a lot to put on Sasuke, especially considering this could be the last time they ever talk freely again, but he had to say it. He'd die in contentment, knowing that Sasuke knew his true feelings.

As they closed in in the chakra mass, anticipation for the upcoming battle skyrocketed. All thoughts of the love confession had to be cast aside. Despite this, Naruto was relieved.

"And our two favorite ninja finally arrive!" Kakashi presented them sarcastically. The others behind him giggled, but he glared intently at the two. Naruto didn't know when Kakashi started to hate them. Maybe when Iruka died? Or when the new Hokage put false thoughts in his head? It was probably the latter.

Several questions burned at the forefront of Naruto's mind. Yet he brought forth only one from his lips: "Why assassinate me now?"

Kakashi paused. "That's quite an easy question. Because you're a parasite."

Naruto sneered, and the scorch of anger flooded right back. "Because _I'm _a parasite?! Do you people not see yourselves? I have defended this village for eight long years and this is how you repay—?"

"Calm down, Naruto." Sasuke's hand gripped his shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "They're just trying to make you lose focus. Calm. The fuck. Down."

Naruto took a deep breath. It wouldn't do any good to lose focus in a life-or-death battle, he figured. "Right…" Naruto grunted.

"Let's cut the chit-chat. It's a little too boring for my taste." This was not the Kakashi they once knew. It hadn't been Kakashi since he went insane from his life partner's death. But they weren't mad at him. They were pissed at the puppet master behind it all: The Hokage, himself.

"I agree!" Naruto appeared before Kakashi and kicked at his head. Kakashi dodged before flipping backwards. Naruto didn't give him a chance to land. He was right beside him and summoned two clones that each made a Rasengan. Kakashi slashed one and dismissed it but failed to get the other. It crashed into his side. He landed hard. Naruto hand met Kakashi's face, pounding it further into the dirt.

Not even a complete second had passed.

"You think I'd let you kill me so easily?!" Kakashi's voice came from 20 meters behind him. He looked down and saw his fist break a substitution doll. Kakashi must have done it at the last moment.

Naruto could sense him coming at high speed and dodged the attack by ducking to the side. Before Kakashi could retract his fist, Naruto threw a _kunai_. A fluid dodge by Kakashi allowed Naruto enough time to form some hand signs.

"Wind style: two swords!" A wind sword appeared in each of his hands before he ran in Kakashi's direction. Kakashi performed the hand signs to his Lightning Blade. The two swords clashed, wind against lightning, and they fizzled out on impact. His instincts automatically went on the offensive and sliced at Kakashi's left arm.

Naruto scored a hit.

It made Kakashi drop to the ground and scream, clutching at his empty arm socket. It probably hurt like a bitch. He tried not to feel bad when he sliced it off, but he could help feeling something when blood came spurting out. His eyes darted away from the wound. Kakashi was still his _sensei_, and they used to be very close. Naruto berated himself for thinking about it too much. He was trying to kill him, and those thoughts didn't belong in a battle.

Kakashi glared up at him, rage scaled from the depths of his eyes. The unarmed man got to his feet again and barreled toward him. He took his _kunai_,and blinded by rage he started the feral attack. There was no rhythm to it; Naruto was having a hard time predicting his moves. This went on for a while. It was a dance of agony. Downed one arm hindered Kakashi immensely, though it proved the force behind the attacks to be deadly.

Naruto dodged almost all the hits. He punched him back here and there without using any _ninjutsu_. It was him thinking too much again.

"Naruto! Hurry up with him. I'm almost out of chakra." Sasuke's voice jolted him out of his naïve mindset. He had to finish this battle—and quickly. There was no sparing him; Kakashi had to die. He was reluctant, but he motioned the hand signs anyways.

"Earth and ice style: God's wrath!"

Rocks leapt from beneath him and attached themselves to Kakashi. After a moment, the jutsu did its job: Ice spiked at the end of the rocks. Naruto watched as Kakashi fell limp.

Kakashi Hatake was dead. He tried to take his mind off of it, but his eyes were glued to Kakashi's dead body. He had to let go. And he turned them to Sasuke. He couldn't dwell on the past; he had to refocus on the present.

Sasuke was holding them off rather well. To the untrained eye Sasuke did not look exhausted or almost out chakra. But to Naruto, Sasuke was tired.

So he rushed over to his back and combated alongside Sasuke. They fought, and fought, and fought.

Sasuke was the first one to run out of juice. He collapsed, but Naruto was there to fight for his best friend. They surrounded him in a circle. He tried to fight all of them and protect Sasuke, but there were too many. He even resorted to tapping into Kyuubi's chakra. Though, there were still too many.

Something fishy was going on. It was more than the Leaf's forces. He knew he and Sasuke defeated more than a thousand ninja, yet there was no end to them? Who did the Village go to for help?

Naruto's body ached terribly. The never-ending waves of ninja didn't stop. He slashed and slashed, yet the rounds never changed even after all his efforts. He couldn't move anymore. After a day and a half of fighting, he couldn't do it anymore.

Sasuke woke up that very moment. He probably sensed that these would be his final moments. Naruto stood, frozen by the haze of ninja stars thrown at him. They were biting into his skin. Time stood still. A ringing started in his ears as Sasuke screamed his name. He couldn't hear it but smiled anyway. At least Sasuke was alive. That was all that mattered to him.

Heavy eyelids slipped. It felt as if the ground beneath him had caved in. Blackness darkened his vision. And as he fell toward death, "Sasuke…" was whispered ever so softly. His friend was crying so hard for him that the other ninja just looked on—said nothing, did nothing. It was just him they wanted.

Naruto couldn't finish the thought. He could only embrace death.

_Life wasn't linear. It was like a circle that never fluxed and never broke. Kyuubi knew that she would be reborn again as another Tailed Beast in a different universe. Her nine tails wouldn't even be guaranteed in the trade between universes. She didn't want to be Ichibi again. Ever again._

_This world wasn't all that bad, though. She liked her host and she didn't have to socialize with the other Tailed Beasts. It was perfect. That is until Naruto had to go and die on her. Stupid human. Just like all the host deaths before him, Naruto appeared before her. Only this time she actually liked this one. Sanbi always did like to say there was a first for everything._

_"You're going to die." She didn't feel like beating around the bush for this one. They had limited time and she had to convince Naruto to go back in time._

_"Yeah, I know." His voice was meek. That was probably the first time she actually heard it not loud and obnoxious._

_"Do you want to live?"_

_He looked at her like she was stupid. His look said "Who wouldn't want to live?" But his voice trailed off from that already meek and hopeless "Of course I do, but it's impossible..."_

_That voice. It annoyed her. "Of course it's not impossible. Well, it would be for anyone except me."_

_"Then yes! I could tell Sasuke, and we can move before the attack!" Hope made its way into Naruto's eyes._

_"Not that kind of time travel."_

_Naruto looked confused. "Then what kind of time travel are you talking about then?"_

_"I'm going to undo your time book. Or in simplistic terms, your body's age and the events that came with it."_

_"But then I won't remember anything and might die again!"_

_"No, dumb-ass. I'll absorb your memories and give them back to you when I am sealed inside you."_

_"Oh."_

_"Hurry up and give me your permission. This pesky seal won't let me do it without it."_

_"I give you permission to go back in time…? Did I say that right?"_

_"Yes, that should be sufficient." Kyuubi felt her belly burn before the cage opened. Naruto stepped inside and she gathered all of her energy into a ball before sealing them inside. This was going to take a lot of energy. She grimaced as she dreaded the notion of undergoing all that recovery._

_All would be well, though. She would have her nine tails and wouldn't have to be stuck with some other human she didn't like. It was a win in her book. As she guided them to their destined point in history, Naruto's body changed. They both disappeared. She, in Kushina's chakra core, and Naruto, in her womb._

_It was going to be a long eight months._

**TBC**

* * *

Did you like it? Reviews fuel my muse and help me write faster. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Beta:** **JunAegileus777**

In the dawning light of a frigid fall morning, fog decided to cling to buildings and the vendors that prepared for the coming day. Naruto watched from the top of an upscale condominium. Obscured by taller buildings; no one detected him.

He was waiting patiently, for that right moment. If that moment didn't appear, he'd simply have to make one. Not that he needed to, because minutes later an opportunity presented itself.

Naruto's muscles tensed up for a moment, before moving him toward the ground. Using the shadows and the fog to cover his tracks, he grabbed all the food he could carry. It wasn't like he had the money to actually buy any of it though. That was the reason he decided stealing was the best way to go. Probably the only way. His arms trembled before he decided to go back.

His apartment was where he spent his childhood and teenage years in the last life and now. The paint and wallpaper were peeling, and the boards were so shoddy that even walking on them was too much. They broke often, and he just didn't have the means to replace them. He'd burn the place down if he had a chance. Unfortunately, that was the only place he was allowed to live in. His old orphanage didn't even allow him to live there anymore. Naruto couldn't even believe he used to act so cheerful all the time. He wondered if it was all the ramen he used to eat. His horrible nutrition must have affected his brain.

He sighed in relief as he put down the pile of food on his cracked counter. Even if his mind held twenty years of experience, his body was still weak and only seven years old. He put all the food away as he tried to remember what he had to do today. His schedule popped into his head.

Oh. That's right. That snaggletooth witch from the orphanage was coming to give him his money. He supposed he'd have to stay at his house. He swallowed the instinct to punch the already sagging wall. Even a little punch would probably leave a gaping hole in his wake.

Even if those _dreams _happen again he wasn't going to stare at the puke colored wallpaper all day. He carefully walked over to his bed and stretched out onto it. Even though he'd woken up only three hours before, a nap wouldn't hurt. Maybe he wouldn't have a dream. Before he knew it, sleep claimed him.

_If Sasuke could have just one wish, he'd go back in time._

_He missed Naruto. The image of his blood-soaked body wouldn't leave his mind. Nine years later__—__So many years has passed!__—__his best friend still haunted him. His last dying breath still ghosted over his skin. He knew he couldn't go into the village without remembering Naruto's bright smile; he was glad he couldn't, just in case if he was tempted to. There was not even a return to his "I love you." He'd scream it from the rooftop, if it meant he'd hear it. He wished he could just say it back. Looking back now, he couldn't remember why he didn't._

_Sasuke was still in a jail cell. Fortunately, he didn't have to talk to the traitors. He wouldn't have to pretend he didn't want to rip their skins from their bodies and choke them with it._

"_Sasuke Uchiha." The scary-looking one was here. He didn't want another day of torture. No more torture, he wanted to scream out, only to remain silent. He merely stared at the wall as if something interesting was carved into it: Dried blood, the words 'I love you' in it. Maybe his wishful thinking, but perhaps Naruto would see it? Sasuke wondered if the afterlife was truly that far away. And he hoped not. Then, he wouldn't get to see Naruto soon._

"_Sasuke Uchiha! I know you hear me. Stand up, or I'll make you." The threat seeped with venom. Could someone poison themselves with words? Such a fancy made the Uchiha chuckle. "I'm warning you." The man snarled through clenched teeth, whose name he never committed to memory._

_Sasuke guessed those venomous words couldn't kill him. Sasuke laughed hysterically as the man pulled him up by his hair and…_

Naruto awoke with a gasp. An insistent tapping was coming from his front door. His body was drenched in a cold sweat. His hands shook, eyes wide and unseeing. He blinked, trying to focus.

It was probably the orphanage lady.

Naruto took a deep breath before he said, "Coming!" He rubbed his face before getting up.

"How many times do I have to knock before you get your lazy ass up?!" Her screech grated his nerves. If only he could give her one good punch to her putrid face. Naruto opened the door and just glared. Though he never liked to dwell on those dreams, they got to him anyway. He cleared his throat to shake it off. But that strong man's fist of his hair, and the craziness that engulfed Sasuke's mind, they were blatant.

She sneered at him. "Ungrateful brat. I walk all the way over here_—_!"

"Can I have my money now?" He waved his hand nonchalantly, then held it out. He did it just to piss her off. Which he did.

She fumed as he deadpanned. "Fucking brat! You should be grateful I even give you your money! Terrible monster_—_!"

"Do you like to keep repeating yourself? 'I should be grateful, blah blah blah!' Now, where's my money?"

She stood silent as shock flitted over her features. That was the first time he actually treated her so rudely. It was her own fault, really.

"Whatever, _brat_." She glared daggers at him with the condescending word. But he kept rolling his eyes and holding out his hand. The snaggletooth crone handed him the roll of cash before teetering away.

"Thank you," he said, feeling anything but.

She turned around at the corner, sneered, then took her leave.

Naruto had his money now, so he had no reason to stay in his apartment. Slamming the door on his way out, he didn't even bother to lock it. No one dared to actually go in. They just threw things at it. Or even worse, break the door or the front exterior. He'd dread the thought of fixing either, or even both. The blond shook his hair around, a pace away from strolling outside. He didn't want to think about it longer than he had to. The Villagers wouldn't change. So what was the point of dwelling? He settled for taking in the outside.

It was around noon. The sky was bright. The air was cool. His trash cans were haphazardly thrown to the old, cracked cement. Trash was strewn all over. The smell was rank, and the sun certainly did not help it any. It wafted through the air, but somehow never managed to get inside, much to his surprise. After a second, Naruto dragged himself over to clean up the mess. What did the Villagers expect to accomplish with their actions? It wasn't like he'd leave just because a few trash cans were tipped over.

After the fact, he wondered what he was going to do today. As good as training sounded, he couldn't let them see how advanced he'd gotten just yet. Naruto had to hide his abilities. He was a great ninja, and when the time came he wouldn't be able to hide it any longer. For now, he was just weak Naruto_—_nothing more, nothing less.

Besides, he kind of liked when his enemies underestimated him. They handed him every chance to prove them wrong.

Naruto treaded carefully to the Uchiha district. The Uchiha hadn't like him any more than the rest of the Village. They'd even gone out of their way to keep him from "soiling their precious clan." In retrospect, he was sort of glad Itachi Uchiha killed them off. They were arrogant in a holier-than-thou sort of way. And knowing the clan, he bet that Sasuke wouldn't have been half as strong as he was in the past. Most of them relied on their family's name instead of skill. Not to say they weren't skillful. It's just the clansmen put faith into their birthright instead of what they could actually do.

But now, Naruto found himself at the gate. He didn't go in but looked the inside over. Hopefully, he'd get a glimpse of Sasuke. Not the best plan, but what better things did he have to do? He couldn't train_—_he had to wait until a lackadaisical guard slipped up to study some forbidden scrolls, and sleeping was out of the question. So what if he felt like a stalker? He missed Sasuke. The Sasuke Naruto dreams of each night was, in fact, the previous Sasuke. There was not a doubt in his mind.

Scanning the bustle and hustle of the Uchiha commune, Naruto didn't see any sign of Sasuke. He stood there for a good ten minutes. And yet, there was nothing. Maybe the main family didn't come this way? Maybe they didn't socialize with the other lower members of the Uchiha clan? That, in a way, didn't surprise him.

"Kyūbi…" came, like underhand kunai from a shadow, several harsh whispers. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Just to turn and glower at him. Soon, he knew that was his cue to leave. He shouldn't have stared for so long anyways. But it couldn't be helped, now. The Jinchūriki cleared his throat, casting his eyes downward as if something interesting were plastered across the ground.

Naruto strode toward the Ninja Academy. He supposed that was where he was supposed to be. It wasn't where he was going to attend, but he was going to make it look like he was going. He vaguely wondered why they haven't forced him to go. Probably because they didn't really care, but that still didn't explain the Third Hokage: That old man always stuck up for him and genuinely cared about his wellbeing. Maybe it was just his cynicism, but Naruto wondered if he was only doing if out of moral obligation, not because he actually cared because of the promise he made to his father.

Those possibilities. They swirled like a storm. He continued to stare down until a hard body bumped into him.

"Watch where ya going!" Well, that was new. An accent of some sort? Naruto found a strange looking man's face. He had translucent white hair and tribal tattoos going down the side of his face. His forehead held a script completely unknown to him—and that was _rare_. Considering his knowledge about it, trying to figure it out was useless. Was he from the west? Rumors told of people from the west having strange accents. Well, it surely wasn't a rumor anymore.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going…" Naruto's gaze traveled to the other man's eyes. Which clashed. What a strange color they were: Silver, with intricate black swirls...or was that writing?

"Keep yer head up kid. Maybe I wouldn't've done it if ya had." The man patted his shoulder. Sharp? Friendly? He marched on by and soon disappeared into the crowd.

What a strange man.

Blond spikes shook before he continued toward the school again. He doubted he'd ever see that man again. Why ponder over things that didn't concern himself?

So he didn't. Curious sky-blue eyes peeked around the corner of the entry fence. All sorts of little kids were playing on the playground, boisterous and energetic. His lips twitched into a small smile before it disappeared. He remembered when he was innocent like them. As innocent as an orphan who had to take care of himself could be. Naruto missed the uncomplicated things. If it wasn't for his selfish desires, he'd be dead right now. If he were a better man, he would've died when he did. He would've accepted it. What real reason did he have to live other than Sasuke and revenge? He'd be a hypocrite if that was what fueled him now: He had warned Sasuke plenty of times that revenge was a stupid reason to live for. Yet it was a reason why he, himself, was alive? But Sasuke was his precious person, and he'd sworn to protect him no matter what. And if getting revenge was a way to do it, he would.

"Naruto Uzumaki, how nice of you to show."

The blond had been spotted. Putting on a smile as fake as gold lead, Naruto craned his face around. "Hey…" he trailed off. He had nothing else to say. Naruto was, for a lack of a better word, tongue-tied.

The woman's face was familiar, but he couldn't pull it from memory. She was relatively young, perhaps around Kakashi's age? Her brunet tresses were pulled back into a high pony tail, and several strands were sticking out. She would've been attractive if not for the perpetual scowl etched into her features. Her whole aura screamed "bad woman." Though probably just another teacher who works at the Academy.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you going to school is mandatory?" Of course, they did. But usually, most ninja clans don't let their children attend school until they're ten. He knew everything in the curriculum, so why waste time?

"I didn't know you cared…!" Naruto flashed her another "gold lead" smile.

"Quite frankly, I don't, Uzumaki-_kun_. But it is the law. Not even _you _can escape it." Where the hell did this inane lecture come from? Did she think the other Village children not attending were breaking the law?

Despite the inanity, Naruto decided to humor her. "Well then…enroll me." Naruto quirked an eyebrow, as if to make a bet. He was totally egging her on. She looked quite surprised.

Maybe he shouldn't have acted so…mature? It did seem strange for an eight-year-old to be acting in such a way that he was acting now. He decided to start acting like a child.

"Show up tomorrow, and it'll be taken care of," she sneered. The lady looked pained as if someone was twisting her arm. Naruto didn't understand. She obviously didn't want him going, could've ignored him, walked away with no regrets. Why was she even making an effort?

"Sure? Miss...?" Naruto drawled in the most sugary voice he could come up with. He needed to act like a little kid, and he was pretty sure they acted like this.

"Masako," She mimicked him.

Awkward silence washed over them until Naruto decided it was time to leave. "Well, I'm gonna go, then. See ya later!" Naruto tagged on with his new childlike enthusiasm. He could start school now. There was always the option to make a shadow clone to go in his place.

"Bye…" the lady said curtly before leaving.

He wandered from the school and into the forest, with the last battle suddenly on his mind. If only he wasn't so weak. After Sasuke killed Orochimaru and returned to Konoha, there was no reason for Naruto to train as hard as before. He only started training hard again when politics in the Village started to sink into corruption by "S." Naruto didn't know who "S" was, but the signature was showing up more and more frequently on documents that Sasuke and he'd dug up. The Sixth Hokage, whom was elected after Lady Tsunade's strange death, was a man most of the village had never heard of before. And if that wasn't strange enough, Danzo, thought most likely to receive the position, suddenly had a heart attack. This "S" character was behind his death, that much was certain. Yet what he didn't know was the motive. Why target such a well-connected man? It wasn't due to the Kyūbi being inside of him. There was too much effort put into his death for it to be because of the Nine Tails.

As much as he racked his brain for an answer, the more frustrated he became. His thoughts circled the only plausible reason being the Nine Tails. Naruto didn't have many well-connected enemies that could pull all of that off. He doubted anyone in the council could do it, either.

Who was S? And how was Naruto going to stop him?

The _shinobi_ teen took a seat on the ground, scowl chiseled into his features. At first, when his memories came back, he thought there were records of names that might lead to who S was. It was around the time files were going missing when whole sections started to become obsolete. Naruto thought that it would be simple: Find the names that might link to S's identity, find them, and take revenge. He never would've believed there'd be no traces, no leads, absolutely _nothing_.

Maybe it was naïve to believe this would all be a walk in the park. Naruto realized it now, how difficult this task was really going to be.

* * *

**Author's note:** Sorry for the late update! I'll try to be faster next time.

Sakura will not be bashed. I'm still deciding if they should have a more deeper friendship or not. I can leave up to everyone or just decide myself; your choice. Leave a review or PM if you have some sort of opinion on the matter.

Thank you all for all of your support! It always puts me in an amazing mood. :3


End file.
